Srinagar, March 7: People’s Conference Chairman and MLA Sajad Lone has strongly criticized the Omar Abdullah government’s Budget for 2025-26, calling it a disappointment that prioritizes political optics over economic viability. Taking to Twitter (X), Lone questioned the credibility of the budget, alleging that it merely parrots Centrally Sponsored Schemes and fails to provide tangible benefits to the common people.
“Same old parroting of Centrally Sponsored Schemes”
Lone dismissed the budget as an annual statement of outlay and expenditure rather than an economically vibrant and politically viable financial plan. He noted that the budget speech was filled with Hindi nomenclature of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, with little focus on independent policy measures by the J&K administration.
Criticizing what he termed as double standards of the ruling National Conference government, Lone stated, “Glorified and endorsed the BJP Naya Kashmir discourse and statistics, that have been berated by NC in the last decade. All of a sudden, every government statistic of the past 5 years is the gospel truth.” He accused the government of taking credit for statistics that it previously dismissed as fiction when it was in the opposition.
No relief for the common man
Lone slammed the budget for lacking provisions to directly impact the lives of the common people, pointing out that there was nothing for employment, daily wagers, contractual employees, or minimum wages. He also raised concerns over the increase in petrol and diesel prices, stating that the reduction in rebate will result in a ₹1 per litre hike for petrol and ₹2 per litre for diesel.
The 200 free electricity units for Antyodaya (AAY) households were also criticized, as he noted that the scheme is linked to the Centrally Sponsored Rooftop Solar Program, which comes with multiple conditions and a 65% central funding cap on a 3 KW limit. He further took issue with linking social welfare payments to Dearness Allowance (DA), arguing that any real increase would depend on inflation remaining at zero—a near impossibility.
“Statistical relegation of aspirations”
Taking a dig at the government’s portrayal of the shifting of the police budget to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Lone remarked that the move was framed as an achievement, even though it represented a further erosion of statehood. He compared the budget to the LG’s address, stating, “If the LG address was a political relegation of aspirations, this budget is a statistical relegation of aspirations.”
In a sarcastic conclusion, Lone called the budget a “Love letter to BJP Part II”.
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